Georgia: Government Offering Subsidies to Foreign Filmmakers

Gautamiputra Satakarni, an Indian historical action movie filmed in Georgia, was one of several films subsidized by the Georgian government in a bid to boost the economy and give a nudge to the country’s own moviemaking industry. (Photo: Fragment of movie cover via National Georgian Film Center)

Officials in Georgia hope to turn the country into a global hub for film and television via the creation of a program that offers subsidies to foreign production companies. The initiative is designed to boost the local economy and give a nudge to the country’s own moviemaking industry.

Under the program, called Film in Georgia, the Georgian government will reimburse 20 percent of a foreign company’s production costs in Georgia, and add an additional 5 percent, if the finished film or program promotes Georgia.

“We all know the importance Georgian cinema had in forming the country’s image and culture,” said Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili when he unveiled the program last year. “This new initiative will contribute to the development of cinematography as an industry and as a business. And our country will become Eastern Europe’s most attractive filming location.”

To read the full story

Inge Snip writes about (social) innovation, startups, and grassroots movements. She hails from the Netherlands, but has lived in Tbilisi on and off since 2007.

Georgia: Government Offering Subsidies to Foreign Filmmakers

Gautamiputra Satakarni, an Indian historical action movie filmed in Georgia, was one of several films subsidized by the Georgian government in a bid to boost the economy and give a nudge to the country’s own moviemaking industry. (Photo: Fragment of movie cover via National Georgian Film Center)